1.1. Title: WATDEV Report Writer and Closure Lead

1.2. Location: Cairo, Egypt

1.3. Duration of the assignment: 5 months, from 01/06/2026 to 31/10/2026, with 1 additional month renewable if needed

1.4. Contract type: Short-term contract

1.5. Reporting to: EU Portfolio Coordinator / Line Manager

1.6. Net Monthly Salary: EUR 2,080, not negotiable

1.7. Contract Type: Local Contract – Full-time

1.8. Availability: From 1 June 2026

2. Background of the Project

2.1. Title of the Project

Climate Smart Water Management and Sustainable Development for Food and Agriculture in North-East Africa — WATDEV

2.2. Brief Description of the Project

The Climate Smart Water Management and Sustainable Development for Food and Agriculture in North-East Africa project, known as WATDEV, is an EU-funded initiative under the DeSIRA programme, Development Smart Innovation through Research in Agriculture. The project promotes integrated approaches to sustainable water management and agricultural development.

The project operates in Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Sudan, with support from European research and technical partners.

The project addresses critical challenges in the East African and Nile Basin region, where climate change, population growth, weak infrastructure, and fragmented water governance threaten water availability, agricultural productivity, and food security. Agriculture is the main water user in the region, and increasing demand is intensifying pressure on already scarce resources, particularly affecting smallholder farmers.

WATDEV aims to strengthen climate-resilient and sustainable agricultural water management to reduce poverty and improve food security. It adopts an integrated, multi-stakeholder approach that combines research, policy support, innovation, and capacity building at national and regional levels.

The project is structured around five components: identifying and adapting best management practices, piloting innovative solutions, scaling up successful practices through modelling, developing a water planning toolbox, and establishing a Regional Water Knowledge Hub in Cairo.

As the four-year project approaches its end in June 2026, a comprehensive and well-coordinated closure phase is required, encompassing final narrative and financial reporting, audit exercises, completion of the external final evaluation, and consolidation of results and lessons learned in compliance with contractual and EU Delegation requirements.

3. Scope of Work and Objectives

The overall objective of this assignment is to lead and coordinate the closure phase of the WATDEV project, ensuring the timely, accurate, and compliant completion of all contractual and reporting obligations.

Specific objectives are to:

• Ensure effective follow-up and quality control of the external final evaluation service;
• Coordinate and oversee the audit exercises required during the closure phase;
• Lead the preparation, consolidation, and submission of the final narrative and financial reports to the EU Delegation;
• Ensure alignment and consistency across narrative, financial, audit, and evaluation outputs;
• Support and coordinate the follow-up of the handover process of project assets, ensuring the orderly transfer of physical, digital, and knowledge-based assets to relevant project partners, in line with contractual obligations, institutional procedures, and sustainability requirements;
• Support institutional learning through a targeted market assessment on Monitoring and Evaluation service providers.

4. Duties and Responsibilities

Under the supervision of the EU Portfolio Coordinator / Line Manager, the WATDEV Report Writer and Closure Lead will carry out the following responsibilities:

4.1. Communication and Visibility Outputs

• Review, validate, and ensure approval of the remaining deliverables related to the communication and visibility contract, ensuring compliance with EU visibility and contractual guidelines;
• Coordinate with service providers and internal stakeholders to finalize outstanding products during the project closure phase.

4.2. Project Assets Handover

• Coordinate and follow up on the project asset handover process during the closure phase, in close collaboration with the project management team and relevant project partners, including:
  • Review of assets subject to transfer;
  • Verification of applicable contractual requirements;
  • Support to handover documentation;
  • Follow-up to ensure the formal completion of the process in compliance with EU procedures and contractual obligations.
• Review draft outputs and support finalization of evaluation deliverables.

4.3. Final Evaluation Service Follow-up

• Act as focal point for the external final evaluation consultancy firm;
• Monitor progress against contractual timelines and deliverables;
• Coordinate communication between evaluators, the project management team, and project partners;
• Review draft outputs and support finalization of evaluation deliverables.

4.4. Audit Coordination

• Coordinate the audit exercise for the period from 01/07/2025 to 31/10/2026;
• Liaise with auditors and project partners in support of the Administrative and Financial Officer;
• Follow up on requests for clarification and supporting documentation;
• Ensure timely completion and validation of the audit report.

4.5. Final Narrative and Financial Reporting

• Lead the drafting, consolidation, and finalization of the final narrative report, in close coordination with project partners;
• Support the Administrative and Financial Officer in the preparation, verification, and consolidation of the final financial reports;
• Ensure coherence between narrative, financial, evaluation, and audit documentation;
• Coordinate submission processes to the relevant contracting and management bodies and the EU Delegation, including signature procedures and final disbursement requests.

4.6. Market Assessment on Monitoring and Evaluation Service Providers

• Conduct a targeted market assessment of companies and consultancy firms with expertise in Monitoring and Evaluation, particularly those previously identified and invited to participate in relevant tenders;
• Collect structured feedback from selected firms to understand reasons for non-participation in past tenders and identify perceived barriers;
• Identify and map additional qualified international, regional, and local Monitoring and Evaluation service providers;
• Analyze findings and formulate recommendations to improve future procurement strategies for Monitoring and Evaluation services.

4.7. Coordination and Internal Monitoring

• Follow up on remaining implementation-related payments, including communication, visibility, supervision, and partner costs;
• Maintain continuous coordination with project partners, auditors, and consultants;
• Design and submit monthly progress reports to the Line Manager, summarizing completed activities, progress against timelines, challenges, and upcoming tasks.

5. Reporting and Documentation

The professional will be responsible for producing and contributing to:

• Monthly progress reports;
• Draft and final narrative reports;
• Draft and final financial reports;
• Audit-related documentation and responses;
• Final evaluation coordination outputs;
• Documentation related to the handover of project assets, including asset inventories, handover notes, and validation records;
• Market assessment report on Monitoring and Evaluation service providers.

All documentation must comply with EU Delegation and contractual reporting standards.

6. Timeline / Workplan

June 2026

• Handover and induction with the WATDEV Project Coordinator;
• Participation in the WATDEV Final Conference in Uganda, 15–17 June 2026;
• Follow-up on remaining implementation-period payments;
• Mapping and initial follow-up of the project asset handover process with the project management team and partners, including review of asset inventories and pending transfer actions;
• Revision and validation of products related to the communication and visibility contract;
• Initial follow-up with the final evaluation consultancy firm.

July 2026

• Follow-up on final evaluation progress;
• Coordination with project partners on financial reporting;
• Support financial checks related to project implementation costs;
• Start drafting the final narrative report for the period 01/01/2025 to 30/06/2026;
• Launch market assessment on Monitoring and Evaluation service providers.

August 2026

• Consolidation of financial report;
• Coordination with auditor and project partners;
• Start financial report for the period 01/07/2026 to 31/10/2026;
• Continued work on narrative report and market assessment.

September 2026

• Finalization of financial report and start of auditing exercise;
• Draft final financial report for EU Delegation submission;
• Completion of market assessment and submission of related deliverables.

October 2026

• Completion of final evaluation service;
• Finalization of audit service;
• Finalization of the final narrative and financial reports for EU Delegation submission;
• Coordination of final submissions to the relevant contracting and management bodies and the EU Delegation for signatures;
• Request for final disbursement.

Requirements

7. Essential Requirements

7.1. Education Background

• University degree in International Development, Economics, Finance, Political Science, Public Policy, International Cooperation, or a related field.

7.2. Professional Experience and Technical Competences

• Proven experience in Project Cycle Management, including reporting and closure;
• Solid experience in drafting final narrative and financial reports;
• Demonstrated experience coordinating audits and external evaluations;
• Strong familiarity with EU procedures and donor compliance frameworks is considered an added value.

7.3. Soft Skills

• Excellent analytical and writing skills;
• Strong coordination and stakeholder management abilities;
• High attention to detail and ability to manage complex processes;
• Ability to work under pressure and meet strict deadlines.

7.4. Language Skills 